The Trident Story
by Daughter of Romanov
Summary: King Triton's story. If growing up wasn't already difficult for shy, clumsy Triton Eau, he also is expected to fulfill an old prophecy and find a magical trident that he isn't even sure exists- but not without the help of a certain small, loud red crustacean.
1. A Prince Is Born

_**This is a re-write of the Trident Story. This time I have a lot more direction than I did when I began last time (and much more time to write it!). There ended up being far too many storylines in the first version and it became too confusing to keep up with, so I've split it into three stories. **_

**A Prince Is Born**

(Poseidon POV)

"It must be just about time," Ami protested, rocking back and forth on the bed next to the bassinet. The doctor did not reply, his eyes remained fixed on the little egg lying in the bassinet. I sat beside Ami, wringing my fingers together nervously. Weren't pre-hatching nerves meant to get easier with the more hatchlings you had? I felt just as anxious as I had when our eldest was born, and I still had no idea _why_ I was so worried. Nothing would go wrong. Nothing could go wrong. Right?

"The singing is just about right, isn't it?" Ami continued, trying to get a response from the doctor.

"Yes, ma'am," the doctor agreed. I tried to concentrate on the little egg's singing, so sweet and pure. I couldn't help but to smile, taking my wife's hand in my own, squeezing it gently. Our other two children, Oceanus and Crustacia, were asleep in the nursery. Tomorrow morning, they would awake to the news of a new baby brother or sister. The little egg rocked back and forth, but no cracks had formed it its shell yet. This little egg was bright blue and dark red, significantly smaller than its two elder siblings had been. But its singing was almost the same as ours. Its little lungs would not last much longer inside of the little shell. It was time for hatching. The fighting outside had not ceased for the hatching; I could still hear it in the distance. It didn't seem right; it was too much to deal with. How could all this be going on at the same time?

"Why is it taking so long?" Ami asked anxiously, biting her bottom lip. We all fell silent for a moment, waiting for the doctor to reply. He exchanged a look with the two midwives, who both looked worried, eyes fixed on the little egg.

"There might be a problem with the baby," the doctor finally said gently, though it did not soothe Ami or me.

"A problem? What do you mean 'problem'? What's wrong with the baby?" I demanded worriedly, gripping Ami's hand tightly. How could there be a problem? We had never had a 'problem' with the other two hatching. But then, it had never taken this long before. Why hadn't the shell cracked yet?

"It's hard to say prior to the hatching, your Majesty," The doctor said apologetically, "we might have to break the shell, if he cannot hatch himself soon."

"It's that dangerous? For the baby?" Ami's voice rose, her eyes widening in horror. Instinctively, we both leaned towards the little egg, looking fearfully up at the doctor.

"It's a last resort option, your Highness, if the child's is in dangerous of asphyxiation," the doctor assured her, "we wouldn't attempt it in any other circumstances."

But it would be just our luck, during this terrible time that our little baby would be in trouble before even hatching. The war was even closer; there had been a riot in the slums of our very own city!

"Did you meet with Kai today?" Ami asked, desperate for something to keep her mind off the baby. I had called in Lord Kai, my head advisor, to discuss the rebelling and the rioting across our nation, and evacuate my family and me to somewhere safer.

"_The rebellion is getting stronger, Lord Kai. There are riots in the city," I announced, watching his face carefully. He nodded, but didn't seem nearly as concerned as he ought to have been. _

"_Your Majesty, the riots are all under control," Lord Kai insisted. _

"_We need to get out of the city. We need to escape, my family and I. We cannot stay here waiting to be slaughtered!" I insisted. _

"_Your Majesty, you mustn't leave the city. It would be a sign you had given up and all hope is lost! You cannot let yourself be defeated," Lord Kai countered. _

"_Can you not evacuate my wife and children at least? I know that the war is much worse than you say! Certainly, for I can read and I can hear and I know what is coming for us!" my voice rose as I spoke, and I struggled to keep it from wavering. There was a deep and terrible silence, as he bowed his head and was perfectly silent. I had never felt so vulnerable in my life, knowing that whatever came after would change my life forever. _

"_There is no longer any safe route to evacuate you or your family," Lord Kai finally said. There was a long and dark pause, as he looked up at me, his face expressionless. _

"_So… what will happen now?" I asked softly. _

"_The revolutionaries are expected to arrive at the palace by the end of the week. Your family will be taken captive and be stripped of your position and titles before your execution. I will assume the role as President, and your council will form our first government until an election is held," Lord Kai replied, so coldly and calmly, I felt sick to my stomach and gripped my throne to keep myself from falling apart. How long had this been planned for? How long had he and my other officials planned to form their own government? How long had they known that my family and I were going to be killed? Oceans almighty, were they working with the rebels? Had they left us here to die, knowing that the rebellion was much stronger than anything my army could defeat? Had we even fought as hard as we could? Was the army even still fighting? I was King Poseidon; I was the protector of the Arctic, the supreme autocrat, the voice of my people and the ocean itself! My name proclaimed that I was the sole leader of my sea, but my power was gone. In less than a week, I would not even have my name anymore. _

"_How many children do you have?" Lord Kai suddenly asked. I blinked at him, biting my lower lip._

"_Two. Almost three. You… you won't let them be killed, will you?" _

_Lord Kai shrugged, "I have no idea what the rebels intend for the children. We already have enough orphans here." _

_I shuddered at that, as though a frozen wave had crashed upon me. My poor little babies… how could this happen? _

"_Your Majesty… I must go. I have a meeting to attend to," Lord Kai informed me. I waved him away without even asking about his meeting, suddenly entirely drained of energy and hope. We were all going to die. There was only a week left, and we would all be gone. We had lost, before the war was even over, we had lost. _

"Darling?"

I almost jumped at Ami's voice shaking me out of my thoughts, and I offered her a weak smile.

"Yes, sweetheart. I talked to him today," I agreed.

"Are we going to be evacuated?" she prompted me. I paused, wondering what I ought to say. How could I possibly tell her what was going to happen, while she already had so much else to worry about? How could I tell her that we were all to die, when our own little egg was dying before us? Certainly, the little one was dying underneath the shell, the singing seemed strained, softer and hoarser than before.

"Doctor…" one of the midwives said suddenly. The doctor nodded.

"Your Highnesses, we need to take the baby," the Doctor said suddenly, "We need to break the shell."

I simply nodded, and waved him away with the bassinet, off out of our vision to his dreaded medical equipment to shatter the tiny egg. The smell of blood wafted through the water, and Ami started to cry. I wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her forehead.

"Oh, my oceans… my baby… my baby, my baby, my baby," she sobbed into my shoulder. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly,

"The baby will be fine, Ami," I whispered, trying to convince both of us, "It'll be fine. It'll be fine."

Suddenly, there was a loud cry from the baby, as the shell was shattered. The newborn cried terrible heartbreaking sobs, a stark contrast to its pure and sweet singing. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, and rest my head on top of Ami's, trying to block out the sound of my wife and my newborn child's sobs. The hatching's tears were subdued by the midwives and doctor, and there was stillness in the water, a great terrible nothingness. I looked up, and exchanged a fearful look with Ami. Finally, the doctor and midwife returned, the baby in the doctor's arms.

"Your son, your Majesty," the doctor handed the baby to me, wrapped in a white fluffy cloak. The downturned crescent moon on the baby's forehead confirmed his gender, a baby boy.

"Is he okay? Is everything okay?" Ami fretted, looking up at the doctor worriedly.

"There seems to be no signs of serious physical damage," the doctor replied, "there is some minor trauma at the base of his spine and the upper tail, but it unlikely to be permanent. And of course, as always with hatchings medically removed from shells, he could develop lung conditions."

Ami and I both nodded, as the tiny baby cooed in my arms. The baby boy blinked up at me, long dark eyelashes fluttering. He had his mother's colouring: the same bright, bright blue eyes, the same head of dark red curls, and the same shining blue tail.

"He's so beautiful," Ami whispered; her voice thick with tears.

"He looks just like you," I told her, handing her the little boy and kissing her cheek.

"He's got your face," Ami replied, gently brushing a red curl from the baby's forehead.

"Sire?" the doctor interrupted us, "What is the child's name?"

"Prince Neptune Triton of the Arctic Kingdom," I told the doctor. He nodded, and waved off one of the midwives to record the newborn prince's name.

"I will be back tomorrow to conduct further tests," the doctor replied, "the nurses will remain behind to observe the child."

"Of course. Thank you, doctor," I said gratefully, as he bowed and left us alone with the midwives and our new little son. So tiny and beautiful, each tiny finger and fingernail perfect. If only there was a better world for him to be born into.


	2. The Last King Falls

**The Last King Falls**

(Amphitrite POV)

The rebels were at the castle gates. Our situation had deteriorated so quickly, it terrified me. I curled up in Poseidon and my bed, with my three children beside me, trying to ignore the rioting and the end of my husband's reign. Our eldest son, the Crown Prince Oceanus Marius, with his fluffy blonde hair and blue-green tail, was six years old and was curled up on my left, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Our little daughter of gold, Princess Crustacia Carmen, with the same shining blonde hair and shining gold tail as her Daddy, was a mere two years, and was preoccupied with twisting her pearl and seashell bracelet around and around her wrist. And the hatchling, Prince Neptune, was curled up on my lap, fast asleep, as I ran my fingers through his red curls. Our three little angelfish, so tiny and perfect, and in so much danger while they were so very young.

"Mama?" Oceanus looked up at me with his sleepy violet eyes, as he struggled to stay awake.

"Yes, baby?" I whispered, wrapping my arm around him and kissing the top of his head.

"Mama, can't you make those people outside be quiet?" he asked with a half-hearted sigh. My heart ached at that, as there was nothing I could do about the people outside. I put my other arm around my little princess and hugged my two eldest children, softly singing them a lullaby to drown out the sounds of the fighting.

_"Hush-a-bye, my little child_

_Hush-a-bye, though winds blow wild_

_While the storms rage o'er the sea_

_You shall sleep in serenity_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whistle a lullaby_

_Hush-a-bye-, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whistle a lullaby_

_Children of fisherfolk by the shore_

_Winds shall sing to you evermore_

_Winter gale or summer breeze_

_Fill your dreams with their melodies_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whisper a lullaby_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whisper a lullaby."_

By the end of the song, all three children were asleep. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the cries of "death to the King!" and I prayed for the safety of my husband and children. I swam up from the bed, setting down little Neptune in between his siblings, and sat down at the end of the bed watching their eyelids flutter with dreams. I swam over to the window, hiding behind the curtains as I peered out at the rioting outside. Had the whole city come out to see us fall? There were so many people, so many people screaming and shouting to bring down our power and condemn my family to death. I shuddered, biting my lip, wishing for this all to be a dream, just a horrible nightmare we could wake up from.

"Ma'am, shall I take them back to their room?"

I jumped, and turned around to see our last remaining nursemaid, Muira, was at the door, looking at me attentively.

"Not tonight, my dear," I shook my head, "take the night off."

The young red-haired, red-tailed mermaid looked surprised, lost even, but nodded politely and went off to her room. We had lost most of our staff already, they had taken off to care for their families and erase and association they had with us. Our family was so tainted that they couldn't bear to be around us anymore. We still have several around, ones who remained loyal or had simply nowhere else to do. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between the two groups. I closed the curtains slowly, to not draw attention to the room, and sat down on the window seat, putting my head in my hands.

How could this happen to us, tucked away in our palace in the Arctic? After all, this war was so much bigger than just the Arctic Kingdom. It was already dubbed "the War of the Ocean", the most horrible war that anyone under the sea had ever seen. It had begun years before I was even born, in a city in what had been the Kingdom of South Pacifica. Just a protest swim with a petition, which may seem so insignificant now, but nothing like that had ever happened before. No one had ever demanded anything from their monarch with protests. Protests were reserved for factory owners or businessmen, not for the government. But these merfolk had, just a group of coral farmers who wanted the King to ensure they were paid better. No one knew how many of them had come, some say not even a hundred, while others say it was at least a thousand. They swam through the city's main street, were stared at by the locals, and went up to the palace to see the King. They were turned away by the palace guards, of course, but they simply refused to leave and go back to their silence, not without the King seeing their petition. The King refused, of course, and eventually the army had to get involved, and shot down some of them and arrested many more. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

It was terrible.

It was scandalous.

It had started a revolution.

The people grew discontent with the King, not all at once, by slowly one by one they grew more and more bitter, and became infatuated with the idea of self-governance and the death of their King and all he stood for. There were more protests, more and more violent, on and on, never ceasing. Days became weeks, weeks became months, months became years, years became decades, until the King and his family were all found dead in the palace. And from their spilt blood, South Pacifica was born. But it did not end there. Their discontent had trickled out from their nation and all across the seven seas. Now, the governments deflected blame from themselves onto other the other seas, and started wars between each other. Not enough money from kelp farming? It was because the nation next door used up all the good land our people deserve! Our nation doesn't have enough money because someone else has all of the good resources! Finger pointing turned to bitter battles, while civil wars, riots, and rebellions broke out almost everywhere, with varying successes. Never before had there been so much hate and rivalry in the ocean before.

I came from the Kingdom of North Atlantica, the second youngest daughter of the King and Queen. My parents did their best to shelter their children from the war, but it was everywhere, unavoidable. The ocean at war was all I had ever known, and all I would ever see for my whole life. Poseidon, who then the crown Prince, came to our palace to negotiate a peace treaty. It was love at first sight for us, but how could a Prince and Princess of two feuding countries marry? But I loved him. I loved him with all my heart from the first moment I saw him, and I will love him until the last breath leaves my body. We both simply refused to accept that we could not be together. And one day when Poseidon was visiting me, news came that his father had been assassinated and he was now the King of the Arctic Kingdom. When he returned home, I went with him as his fiancée. It was the first time I had ever strayed beyond the palace walls of my home before, and it was the last time I would ever see North Atlantica or any of my family and friends from home again. I went with Poseidon, and we were married in a small solemn ceremony in the Arctic. His people did not want a North Atlantican Princess as their Queen Consort, and there was nothing I could do to please them. There was peace between our two countries for a short period of time, until my father was overthrown and executed, while the rest of my family was sent into exile. I had not seen any of them since; I only received a few letters over the years. Over the years, the rioting grew stronger and stronger, up until now, when it was too strong to bear.

My thoughts were cut off, as the crowd outside suddenly started to cheer. I froze, mind suddenly blank, as they rebels rejoiced and celebrated outside the palace gates. All there was in the whole ocean for a moment were those horrible cheers, their delight at success at our loss. The final confirmation. The war was official lost. It was far too late now; there was nothing we could do to stop the waves of change. There was nothing left that could be done, no more final battle that could turn the war around, no more last minute plans- no more us. There would be no more me, no more Poseidon, no more little children with bright eyes and giggling lips to tuck into bed at night. The war was lost. We had lost.

I gasped, my eyes stinging with tears, and I clutched at my chest as it filled with burning fire and my whole body began to ache. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and churched with such terrible sickness, as though daggers filled my stomach and tore at me to escape. I shivered with dread and comprehension, unable to move or think or breathe.

The war was lost. The King had been defeated.

But he wasn't just a King. He was a friend, a son, a brother, a father, and most importantly, he was my husband, he was my one true love and he was everything to me. They had not only defeated a King, they had defeated a man and they had defeated everyone who loved him.

"Oh… oh, my love, my darling," I sobbed, rocking back and forth, shaking my head to try and force myself to wake up from this nightmare. But their cheers were so real, ringing in my ears like the screams of a dying man, as my heart bled for Poseidon and all we had lost.

"Ami?"

I looked up to see my husband leaning against the frame of the door, looking exhausted and defeated. I swam over to him in an instant, ran my fingers through his hair, kissed both his cheeks and hugged him so tightly I felt as though my arms would tear off.

"Oh, Poseidon… oh my love! Oh, you're alive! You're alive, you're alive, you're alive!" I exclaimed breathlessly, burying my head into his shoulder, breathing in his scent, feeling the flutter of his heartbeat against mine. He was alive.

"Hush, Ami," he murmured in my ear, his voice thick with tears, "I'm here now. I'm here with you."

I felt his arms wrap around my waist, his lips kiss my neck, and his jagged breathing in my ear. He was alive, he was here, I could hold him and kiss him and feel his tail wrap around mine. But how could he be here? How could he be in my arms, skin against mine, while the rebels celebrated their victory?

"They're cheering," I whispered, unable to say anything more.

"I know," he nodded, almost ashamed, bowing his head and biting his lower lip. I tilted his chin up to look at me, and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind his ear.

"What's going on?" my voice broke with fear, but I pressed on, "What's going to happen to us, Poseidon? What happened down there?"

"Ami… I renounced the throne. For me, and for our children. Lord Kai is now the ruler of the Arctic. And we… we are captives of the rebels, now," Poseidon said slowly, as though each word was a dagger stabbing his heart. I rest my head on his shoulder, breathing in and out slowly. The waves caressed us, so slow and steady, as the celebration outside continued. Captives. What would happen to us now? Exile? Execution? Prison?

"I love you," I whispered, "so, so much."

He kissed my cheek, "I love you too, Ami. I promise I'll find a way to get us out of this."

I nodded, but I did not believe him. There was no way we were ever going to get out of this.

**A/N: For anyone interested, the song is **_**Lullaby of the Sea**_** by David Lundie. And, as always, I encourage you to review and tell me what I should improve/anything confusing or that you want clarified/anything you would like included/anything in the world you would like to say. I'd love to hear from you! **


	3. The Fate of the Trident

**The Fate of the Trident**

(Poseidon POV

"Citizen Poseidon Arctic, President Kai."

This had once been _my _throne room. Now, nothing here belonged to me, and my old oh-so-faithful advisor sat in my throne. And oh! My new name brought me such pain, a dagger twisted in my chest for each "Citizen Poseidon Arctic". I would rather die that answer to it, but for now I had no choice. Sitting on my throne, Lord - that is, President Kai- turned to me suddenly.

"Come in, come in," he nodded. I swam over to him, and waited, perfectly silent. He waited, perhaps for me to begin the conversation

"You are being moved," he announced, with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

"Moved?" I repeated.

"Yes, to one of the western citadels," Kai replied, "a carriage will arrive for you and your family in one hour. You will all need to be ready by then."

"Why are we being moved?" I demanded. He simply shrugged.

"It is the will of the revolutionaries," was the only reply he could muster. There must be some reason, I mused. A ceremonial execution at one of the western citadels? Supporters coming to free us from this palace? A new prison to hold us until they had decided what to do with us? A dumping ground before exile?

"You will have to surrender the crown and trident before you leave," he said firmly. I nodded dully.

"They will remain in the palace, certainly," I said, unable to conceal the contempt in my voice.

"You will bring them to me," Kai ordered. I had never been ordered to do anything before, certainly not by my own government. But then, they were not my government now, and I was not a King.

"Of course… President," I spat out the last word, earning myself a look of scorn as I was escorted from the room. I knew I ought to not tempt fate; I should be sweet and mild-mannered and pray that that is enough for him to let my family go.

But I cannot let him take my pride.

I went down to the nursery, where my wife and children were, with the remains of our staff.

"We're leaving, in an hour," I announced dully, "a carriage is coming to take us to the western citadel."

There was silence, as they all exchanged looks.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Cyan, my valet, asked worriedly.

"There is only one way to find out," I replied gravely.

"I suppose we had better start packing then," our most senior member of staff, the housekeeper Aida, decided. The rest of the staff went with her, and I kissed Ami goodbye, and swam upstairs, though the winding corridors, up into my private suite. The revolutionaries followed me, and stood outside my door, preventing any kind of escape. We were prisoners in our own home. I opened up the cavity in the wall, and removed the Trident and crown, from where I had put them before, and set them on the desk. I surveyed the room, my office, my only private space in a palace of three hundred rooms. There was a painting hanging on my wall, the newest thing in the room. The painting that I had commissioned to honour my second son's birth had been finished, and arrived at the palace this morning. The revolutionaries had already nicknamed it 'The Execution Portrait', which gave me a kind of terrible hint of what was in store for us. I swam over to it, examining each of our faces, marvelling at how well the painter had captured us. This would be how we were remembered. Young, regal, beautiful, and unafraid. That was how I ought to be. I couldn't bear to be anything else. What's more, I simply couldn't allow the trident and crown to fall into the wrong hands, especially when they were so powerful, even if I had been ordered to do so.

Of course, it was a terrible idea.

A terrible, terrible idea, but it was the only idea that I had. It wasn't as though I could choose to do anything else. I couldn't leave the castle without handing the trident and crown over to Kai. But there was no way I could let him have them. I gripped the trident, certain of what I had to do. With the trident, I created a replica of the trident and crown on my desk. That was easy. I put the crown onto my head, and gripping the trident, I melted the crown into my scalp and hair. It burned like fire, seeping under my skin and coating each hair on my head from top to bottom, until the crown was invisible. Though I could not see it, I could feel it weighing me down. The magic from it burnt into my brain, but I would have to learn how to bear it. There was nothing else I could do, no way I could surrender. I gripped the trident tightly, and absorbed it into myself, each molecule of golden magic fusing with me. I burnt until it was finally all gone, though that did not end my suffering. Every breath I breathed ached; every movement pained me as though I suddenly had too much blood for my body. I gripped onto my table to support myself, struggling to breathe and to think. I don't know how long I stood there in my pain; until I heard a sudden shout behind me;

"There they are. Seize the trident and the crown!"

I spun around, struggling to keep my balance, and saw President Kai with several of his guards taking the fake trident and crown. I gasped as there was a sudden bolt of pain in my stomach, and bit down hard onto my lower lip to stop myself from crying out. President Kai held the trident, looking bemused and quite pleased with himself.

"Certainly, there is no reason to be so attached to it. It's the property of the government after all, it doesn't belong to you," Kai remarked, stroking the prongs of the fake trident.

"It's the property of the royal family," I argued, my voice strained and hoarse. Kai laughed, and pointed the Trident at the roof, expectantly. He shook it a couple of times, but there was no lightning, not even a tiny spark. I smirked, as Kai narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why isn't it working?" he snapped, "What did you do to it?"

"Do you _know_ how to use it?" I retorted.

"How do _you_ use it?" Kai demanded. I remained stubbornly silent, as Kai tried to make the fake trident produce some kind of magic.

"Take them away. We'll deal with it later," Kai instructed the guards. Several of them left, taking the fake trident and crown with them. Then, he turned to me, his eyes cold and dark.

"Your carriage awaits, Citizen Arctic," he said, rolling my new title around in his mouth like a delicious treat. I make my way downstairs; trying to remain composed and not let on how much I was suffering. I stood with my family as the carriage was packed with the remains of our belongings.

"Is everything alright?" Ami looked worried, as she touched my face gently.

"Everything is going to be fine," I promised her again, trying to conceal my pain and fear. Old faithful Cyan helped me up into the carriage, and though his face showed his fear for me he said nothing at all. Ami followed with the children, all three looked exhausted and confused. I pulled Prince and Carmen onto my lap, and kissed both of their foreheads.

"Alright, take them away," Kai instructed. The carriage started moving, with only us in it.

"Wait!" Aida cried out, as the servants rushed to get into the carriage. The guards held them back, ignoring their protests and struggles.

"Let them go!" I cried out, though my words fell on deaf ears. Certainly no one cared for the cries of a former King. The carriage left without Aida, Muira, and Cyan. For the first time, we were all alone.


	4. Into The Eighth Sea

**Into The Eighth Sea**

(Amphitrite POV)

The Western Citadel was a huge grey stone and ice castle, cold and unforgiving. At least we were all still together, the five of us. The little ones were tucked up in bed, and Poseidon had already fallen asleep. I was looking out one of the tiny windows in our little room, down onto the bleak village below us. Why was everything so bland here? Sure, the Arctic was no vibrant Atlantica, but I had never seen such a dismal place.

"Ami, come to bed, darling," Poseidon murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I thought you were asleep," I commented, leaning back into his chest.

"Who can sleep?" he replied tiredly, kissing my cheek. He had been on edge ever since we left our castle, doing his best to conceal aches, pains, and tiredness. There was still something regal and magical about Poseidon that commanded respect from the guards here at the Citadel, in spite of him no longer being King. They stammered in his presence, had to stop themselves from bowing at him. There was something about Poseidon that Kai could never be. We were both still reeling from his sudden betrayal, and wondering what was going to happen to us while we were here. Were we doomed to be trapped in this little room for the rest of our lives?

"Come on, Ami," Poseidon gently led me back to bed, and we curled up together, listening to the whales singing as the migrated in the distance. It could be quite peaceful here, if you forgot about everything else going on. Though it was so terribly cold, even in sealskin coats and as we lay nestled underneath the pile of blankets we buried ourselves. And Poseidon wasn't warm enough to snuggle up with, he was cold like metal. He seemed like a different person since we had left the castle, as though he was weighed down by everything in the ocean.

There was a loud knock at the door and the sound of movement in the hallway. Poseidon and I exchanged a worried look, before he got out of bed and swam over to the door.

Poseidon opened the door, "Yes?"

The guard standing at the door looked nervous, and kept his head bowed. He was a young merman, only in his mid-teens, with two other teenage mermen peering out from behind him.

"You and your family are being moved to another location, sire," the guard murmured, looking up at him under his eyelashes.

"Oh… alright," Poseidon nodded, and added after the teenage guard didn't move, "do you mean, we're being moved now? As in, this moment?"

The little guard cleared his throat nervously, "right now, sir. The rest of the guard is preparing to me moved now."

"I see. And you're to escort us downstairs?" Poseidon remarked dryly, causing the three mermen to all blush, "well, we'll be down in a moment or so."

With that, he closed the door in the teenage mermen's faces, and turned to me with a worried look.

"Moved? Again?" I remarked, getting out of bed as he swam over to me, "whatever for? What do you suppose it means?"

"I have no idea. I have no idea why we were even moved here," Poseidon replied, "where are the children's bag?"

"Next to the baby's basket," I sat down at my vanity table, and rolled the hair curlers out of my hair, "what on earth is the point of moving us so late at night?"

"Well, I suppose it is so no one can see us," Poseidon suggested, as he collected the bag and picked up the baby basket. I collected up Poseidon and my things and put them into our bag. Poseidon slung the bags over his shoulder and handed me the baby basket. Our tiny little baby was still sleeping oh-so-peacefully, sucking his thumb. Poseidon picked up the other two, wrapping them up in blankets, and kissing both of their foreheads.

"Daddy?" Prince murmured, "What's going on?"

"Shh, baby, go back to sleep," Poseidon kissed his eldest son's forehead and turned to me, "shall we go, then?"

"I suppose we can't do anything else," I replied with a tired shrug. We left the room, and were escorted downstairs and into a carriage surrounded by guards. It was too dark to see anything outside, so we sat in silence, still too tired to think too much. Finally, the carriage stopped and we were escorted out and into a cavern of bleak grey stone with icicles hanging from the roof and walls. What a terrible place to be. The waters here were filled with the chill of death and misery, surrounding us and drowning us in the sorrows of the dead and the lost. The guards assembled themselves in a line in front of us, blocking the exit from the cave. The head guard stood in the centre of them, looking deathly pale and clutching a government-issued scroll to his chest. Why had we been moved here? This was worse than before. We couldn't live here. There must be something wrong. The head guard cleared his throat, unrolling the scroll.

"Citizen Poseidon Arctic, you and your family have been found guilty of high treason against the Arctic Republic by the President's Council," he paused, "You have been condemned to death."

"I beg your pardon?" Poseidon stared at the head guard, wide-eyed. I stared at the guard in confusion.

"You and your family have been found guilty of high treason against the Arctic Republic by the President's Council. You have been condemned to death," he repeated.

"No," Poseidon said sharply, shaking his head angrily, "No, we shan't die-"

He was cut off and his eyes grew wide and stunned. It was only then that I saw the handle of a dagger stuck out from the middle of Poseidon's throat.

"You've killed him! You've killed him!" I shrieked in horror. Prince and Carmen cried out in their father's arms as he gasped and fell forward. Oh, the children! They were going to kill my children!

"Oh, please, not my children! Not my babies! You make take my life, but don't harm the children!" I begged them. My heart was beating like a bat against my chest, as terror filled every inch of my body. We were going to die. The guards looked

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," the head guard murmured, unable to even look at me.

"I can't kill women and children," one of the guards hissed as he clutched a tiny dagger to his chest, unwilling or unable to throw it at my throat.

"We don't have a choice," the head guard replied, his voice pained. I started sobbing, as I grabbed Prince and Carmen and hugged them tightly one last time.

"Not my children! Don't hurt my children! They're just babies; they have nothing to do with this!" I pleaded, as the children started to cry, terrified and confused. Poseidon spluttered his last breath,

"We cannot die here," he murmured, breathing heavily. There was a blast of bright white light, sudden and sharp. The children cried out in my arms, and I wrapped my arms around the three of them tightly, squeezing my arms. This was it. This was the end. I heard Poseidon whisper something, but his voice was faraway and tossed around by the wind. Was this what death was? It was so freezing cold and blindingly white. I hadn't even seen the dagger being thrown... and the children! They had killed the children! I could feel them in my arms, warm and clinging to me for death life, their hearts fluttering with fear. My eyes started to adjust to the bright whiteness, and I realised it wasn't all white. There were clouds above us, but in between the clouds there was soft blue sky. And beneath us was ice. I looked around, blinking to help adjust my eyes to the brightness of here after the darkness of the cave. There were miles and miles of white ice, as far as I could in all directions. We were trapped, left here to die. Slowly, but surely, they had left us here to either freeze or dehydrate or starve. I could already feel my tail becoming dry as the cold arctic air whipped around us. I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from crying. I had to stay strong, to not scare the children. They were already crying and shivering.

"Hush, my angelfish, hush," I whispered, kissing all three of their foreheads. How could I comfort them here? How do you comfort your children as we all lay upon our deathbeds? I couldn't tell them that everything was going to be alright when it so clearly wasn't.

I looked up to see Poseidon, a few metres away from me, lying on his back. I stared at him for a moment, bewildered. The dagger had disappeared, leaving only a bloody gash on his throat, and now he wore his gold crown upon his head and was clutching the Trident. It seemed like a dream, we had left the crown and trident back at our castle.

"Poseidon?" I called as he looked over to me, "What's going on, Poseidon? How did they get us here?"

"I brought us here," Poseidon replied, as he dragged himself across the ice to me. He hugged me and the children, breathing heavily.

"You brought us here? How?" I whispered, nuzzling his neck.

"It's hard to explain. I had to take us away quickly, and go somewhere that no one could find us. But we have to go now," he murmured. He moved back from me and the children, and began focusing his energy on the Trident.

"Where are we going to go?" I asked, wrapping my arms around the little three a little tighter.

"To the Eighth Sea," Poseidon replied. I almost dropped the children as I stared at him in shock.

"Into the Eighth Sea? That's insane! If we wanted to die, we could have just stayed here!" I exclaimed, looking at him in horror. The Eighth Sea was where the ghosts of dead merfolk went, the sea of lost spirits.

"Ami, you just have to trust me," Poseidon said gently. His bright eyes were so sincere and desperate; I couldn't doubt him for a moment. If we had to go into the Eighth Sea, that was simply what we would do.

"What's going on?" Prince sobbed into my shoulder, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Shh, darling... everything is going to be alright," I promised him, hoping I would be able to keep my promise, "you just have to trust Daddy and Mama more than ever now, okay?"

He nodded, snuggling closer to me.

With the trident, Poseidon created a golden shimmering portal above us, so enchanting and terrifying at the same time. It fell down onto us; the golden light consumed us and vanished as we disappeared. Then, there was only silence and darkness surrounding us like a cloud of ink.

No one quite knew what became of the Arctic Royal Family. The guards could not account for what happened to us, only that we had been present at the execution before we suddenly vanished. No one saw King Poseidon, Queen Amphitrite, Prince Oceanus, Princess Crustacia, or Prince Neptune ever again.


	5. Dead or Alive

**Dead or Alive**

(Amphitrite POV)

There was a great, terrible nothingness all around me, a sense of dreadful emptiness. Everything was freezing cold, like a layer of ice had coated my skin and tail. Poseidon was to my left, talking to himself softly. He glowed softly, blue and gold, the trident and the crown giving off the brightest light. I swam closer to him, hugging Prince and Carmen closer to me. Somehow, the baby was still asleep in Poseidon's arms, sucking on his thumb. The ghosts drifted past us, slow and murky, talking to each other. Their eyes were pupil-less and tired, with dark circles under their eyes as though they had not slept for thousands of years. Their skin, scales, and hair were translucent and dulled with grey, with little colour to any of them. It was an ocean of grey ghosts, merging into a single stream of death. They drifted slowly past us, with no purpose or direction, just going with the flow of the ocean. They were hypnotizing and mesmerizing, I couldn't look away.

"Ami, come on," Poseidon whispered in my ear. I tried my best not to think about the dead that were floating around us and focus on Poseidon. We swam upward, towards the rocky ceiling with icicles and stalactites, and with the trident, Poseidon opened a hole in the ceiling and swam through. I swam through after him, following his glowing tail. The rocks grazed my arms and tail, grimy and gritty. The slime off of the rocks stuck to my scales and skin, and we continued swimming up and up until we finally came through the top of the hole. It was a giant room of ice, empty and chilling. The walls were made of ice and reflected us like mirrors, as they extended up miles and miles above us, beyond into the great darkness above us. Down here, it was quite light and bright, and everything was quiet and still.

"We cannot stay here for long," Poseidon said softly.

"_You can't leave."_

A ghostly voice whispered, coming from all around me and inside of my ears. I shuddered, and hugged my two eldest children closer, the voice of death still ringing in my ear.

"Mama, I don't like it here," Carmen whimpered, pouting as she pressed her forehead to my chest.

"We'll be gone soon, baby girl," I whispered, kissing her forehead. But how soon would we be able to get out of here? And where could we possible go? We didn't have anywhere we could go now; our home was no longer ours. Where would we go from here? Poseidon used the trident to pry open a hole in the wall, bringing a blast of bright white light, shining bright like hope.

"_The dead may not leave the Eighth Sea."_

"We have no business here," Poseidon declared, calm and collected in spite of the terror in his eyes. The ocean current swirled around us, soft and gentle, searching for heartbeats. Poseidon held Baby up against his chest, resting the infant's chest against his heart as the ocean swirled around them.

"Ami, go," he hissed at me, jerking his head towards the hole in the wall, "I'll be right behind you. Go!"

I hurriedly swam to the hole, holding my two eldest children tighter to my chest. Poseidon swam after me, and there was a deep rumbling in the chamber. I turned back to see the currents twisted around Poseidon's tail, trying to pull him back into the eighth sea.

"Keep going!" he insisted, struggling against the current. I continued swimming into the light, even though the water pushed us back into the water. I finally managed to push through out into the ocean again, out of the tunnel. I stared out into miles and miles of clear blue water, fresh and pure. I turned around, and looked up at the sharp drop off behind us that we had just come out of.

I pressed Carmen's hand into Prince's, "go up onto the ledge and stay there until Daddy and I come to get you, alright?"

"Alright, Mama," Prince agreed, squeezing Carmen's hand, and swam up to the top of the seawall. I swam down to the tunnel, and looked down into the bright light. I could see Poseidon was still struggling to swim through the tunnel, with the trident and baby, as the current pushing and pulling him back into the eighth sea. I swam back into the tunnel, and stroked Poseidon's face.

"Here, take Baby and the trident," he said breathlessly, as he pressed the tiny child into my arms. I cuddled the infant to my chest, biting my lip as I gripped onto the glowing trident. Would Poseidon be able to fight the ocean and free himself from the eighth sea? Was he even alive enough to leave the eighth sea?

"Ami, get out of here," he whispered, "take the children and just go. I'll be with you soon."

"But Poseidon!" I protested.

"Just go, Ami!" I insisted. I turned and wiggled out of the tunnel with the baby and trident. The infant had started crying, sobbing heartily and looking around worriedly. I left the tunnel, and stroked the baby's hair.

"Hush, darling, hush," I whispered, kissing his forehead. The trident glowed in my hand, the magic in it surrounding me. The magic soothed my youngest child, who began sucking on his thumb as his eyelashes fluttered closed. Poseidon still had not come through the tunnel from the eighth sea yet… there had to be something I could do. I pressed the baby into my eldest child's arms, and kissed all three of their foreheads. Then, I turned back to the tunnel, positioning the trident. Certainly I must have inherited some magic from my royal blood status… just enough to use the trident, just once. She concentrated all of her energy into the trident, every fibre of her being going into creating some magic. There was a burst of golden lightning, right into the seawall, smashing it open. The sea clouded with dirt and rocks, and there was a great terrible silence.


	6. A New Little Family

**A New Little Family**

(Poseidon POV)

There was a burst of bright golden light, and the rocks from the tunnel in front fell away. I gripped the end of the tunnel, and with one final burst of strength, pulled myself forward and tumbled out. Coughing and spluttering as the cloud of dirt settled, I looked around for my children and wife. Ami was curled up at the bottom of the seafloor, hugging the trident to her chest. I swam over to her, and picked her up gently.

"Ami…?" I whispered, brushing her hair from her face lightly and trying to find a heartbeat. She made no noise or movement at all, but there was a tiny fluttering heartbeat in her chest. I hugged her to my chest and pressed my lips to hers firmly. She stirred at that, her eyelids fluttering open.

"Poseidon…" she murmured, "Poseidon…"

"Hush, darling," I whispered, "everything is going to be alright. We're all here now; everything is going to be alright."

She nodded and tried to sit up, wincing.

"Darling, are you hurt?" I asked, concerned.

"Mm… my back," Ami replied. I bit my lip, hoping her injury wasn't anything permanent.

"Daddy!"

I looked up to see my little daughter, as well as her two brothers, sitting on the ledge above the wall, looking disheveled but unharmed. I swam over to them, carrying Ami gently. They all looked exhausted and bewildered, but alive and well, which was what really mattered. Ami picked up the baby and hugged him to her chest, as Carmen wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Come on, we need to keep going," I said tiredly.

"But Daddy, I'm sleepy," Prince moaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Certainly, we could sleep here for one night," Ami suggested, "It has been such a terribly long day, after all. If it is safe her, we could continue on tomorrow."

I sighed thoughtfully, "I suppose we could be safe here. Certainly, no one would find us. Come on then, let's go away from the edge a bit and find somewhere to sleep."

That seemed to satisfy everyone, and we all swam together until we found a little cavern. With the trident, I created a large seashell, and our little family all lay down together. The baby was already asleep, and the older two fell asleep almost instantly as soon as they lay down. I couldn't quite sleep, and sat up, taking the crown from my head and I examined my wound in the reflection of the trident. My throat had stopped bleeding, and now it had a deep, long blue-grey scar. I traced it with my finger, biting my lip. There was nothing I could do for it, no magical that I could do to hide it. A permanent reminder of what had happened to me.

"Poseidon... are you dead?" Ami murmured. I looked down at her, as she watched me carefully, frowning a little.

"I'm neither here nor there," I replied dryly, with a tired sigh, "neither alive or nor dead."

"Am I alive?" she whispered, half-afraid that I might say no.

"Yes. You and the children are all most definitely alive," I assured me, "and alive you will stay."

"What's going to happen now?" Ami asked, lying back in the shell.

"We're going to go up to the South Pacifica border tomorrow, and live there," I replied, "I'll hide the crown and trident somewhere tonight… and we'll become a perfectly normal, everyday family, who just happened to leave their home country to get away from the terrible war with their young children."

"A perfectly normal, everyday family," Ami repeated with a sigh. With a wave of the trident, I created a small engraved shell and handed it to her. A travelling permit, for Dr and Mrs Quidam Eau, + 3 children, from the Kingdom of Indiania to South Pacifica.

"Doctor?" Ami raised an eyebrow at him.

"I could be a doctor," I replied defensively, "I studied medicine, although informally. Besides, there is magic in my veins. I'll make do."

"And what of me and the children, Quidam?" Ami asked, trying out my new name.

"It would be best not to change the children's names too much," I mused, "so, Prince Oceanus Marius…"

"He knows his name is Prince Oceanus," Ami sighed, "He's six, after all. He knows who he is."

"So, we drop Oceanus, and just go with Prince," I replied with a shrug, "and Princess Crustacia Carmen… well, she's already just Carmen anyway, isn't she?"

"I suppose. What about Baby?" Ami asked, "Oh, couldn't we just leave him as Neptune, darling? Hardly anyone would know about him anyways."

"Neptune is the name of nobility, a dead giveaway," I protested, "Triton would safer, much safer."

"Alright," Ami conceded with a dramatic sigh. He was just a baby, and it didn't much matter anymore if he kept the name of nobility or not. He would never be part of that world again.

"And for you?" I asked.

"Meredith," she replied, without a moment's hesitation.

"Meredith's not a name, it's a place," I pointed out. Meredith, after all, was the name of her home city, the place that she had grown up in and called home until she had come to live with me. Meredith,

"Meredith," she repeated firmly. I nodded. Meredith it would be.

And we became the Eau family. I wrapped my arms around my wife, kissing her forehead. We would be alright, for there was nothing else we could be. Tomorrow, we would go to our new life, and we would start anew. Tomorrow, tomorrow… it would all be better. A better life for my little family, Meredith, Prince, Carmen, and baby Triton. I got up, gripping the trident and the crown.

"I'll go hide them now," I told her, kissing her forehead, "Rest."

"Mm," she neither agreed nor disagreed, but kissed me back. I left the little cave, sealing it with a magical protection charm so that no one could enter it. I cast an invisibility spell over me and the two royal items, and swam over to the South Pacifica border. I swam past the sentries, and into the little shoreline village. Certainly, living by the humans was a danger in itself, but humans were slow, silly creatures, and posed little threat compared to Great War. Besides, no one would search for hiding royals in a grimy little shoreline settlement. I searched for somewhere for us to stay here, a little place to call home. Finally, I found a little cave a mile or so out of town, behind a little kelp forest. A small cavern, just big enough for a little family like ours. With the trident, I gave it some modest furnishings, nothing that would be out of place for some travelling peasants, but still comfortable and homely. It would have to do, for now this would be all that we had. I swam up from the kelp forest, wondering where I could hide the crown and trident. I would need to think of somewhere that no one would look for them, a place where no one would go. I made the crown visible again, glittering and golden, and left it in an old abandoned human ship, tucked away in a great box under piles of tiny silver shiny things with spikes and blades. Then, I left South Pacifica, swimming past the border guards, and found a good hiding place where no one would ever venture, even with the promise of a magical trident. After turning the trident and myself visible again, I sat and held it for a moment, wishing I didn't have to part with it. I had been the master of the trident since my father's death, I felt as though it as a part of me. It was so hard to leave behind, like losing a limb. It would be less painful to abandon my tail. But I left the trident there, with one last loving stoke. I swam away; refusing to look back and change my mind, there was no way I could keep it in my new life. As I returned to the little cave with my family, and curled up next to my sleeping wife. The magical, regal wonderland was over now; we would live with the mundane. But we would live, and that was what really mattered.


	7. The War of the Ocean

**The War of the Ocean**

(Triton {age 4} POV)

I don't like the war. I don't like it when the mailman brings letters to wives that make them cry and I especially don't like it when people leave and don't come home. Daddy says the war has been going on since he was a little merboy like me, when I can get him to talk about it. Mama doesn't talk about the war at all, no matter how much we ask. Mama only talks about those three little eggs she's waiting to hatch, my three little brothers or sisters or a mix. Purpled-tailed yellow-haired triplets.

"I'm home!" Daddy called, as he swam into the little cave that our family lived in. I jumped up from my game of checkers with Carmen and swam over to Daddy, throwing my arms around him. Carmen is my big sister, my pretty golden sister. It was her sixth birthday last Tuesday.

"Triton!" Daddy laughed as he picked me up and spun me around.

"Triton, I told you that if you leave the game, I win," Carmen said angrily, swishing her tail so it almost knocked over Prince, our older brother.

"Watch it, Carmen!" Prince sighed. Prince is ten. He's lots taller than I am and doesn't like Carmen half as much. Prince has the same colour hair as Carmen but my silly tail. He doesn't like Carmen too much, and calls her a brat, which Mama says he's not allowed to say anymore because it hurts Carmen's feelings. So he only calls her a brat when Mama's not around, then says she's a baby if she tells on him. Prince is very clever about those sorts of things.

"Come on, Triton," Daddy laughed his deep booming laugh and hugged me tightly before swinging me around the little cavern a couple more times. I giggled as I almost hit Carmen _and_ Prince even they were far apart as they could be.

"Quidam, please," Mama pulled a face at Daddy.

"Oh, darling, lighten up. Come on, let me see my Atlantica beauties together," Daddy laughed again and put me down on Mama's lap. I don't know what an Atlantica is, but Daddy makes it sound good. I asked Mama, and she said that she didn't want to talk about it, which sounded bad. I have the same hair and tail as Mama. But Mama's beautiful. Honest to goodness, Poseidon-blessed beautiful. The most beautiful mermaid in the whole seven seas.

"Don't tell the children about Atlantica, Quidam. You know I don't like it," Mama sighed again, brushing my long floppy fringe from my face. She had been talking about cutting it, but I'd managed to wiggle out of her grasp every time that she got close to me with scissors.

"Lighten up, Meredith," Daddy kissed her forehead and smiled, "they're just kids, after all."

Mama pouted but didn't say anything. That happened a lot. Normally it just means Mama and Daddy will have a long quiet talk when they think we are all asleep.

"I've, ah, got some news," Daddy said, I think to all of us. Prince and Carmen swam over to sit next to Mama and me.

"Oh?" Mama said, like question even though it isn't really one.

"I've been enlisted into the Queen's army," Daddy said quietly, watching Mama carefully. Mama's jaw dropped, and she gasped, her eyes growing wide and scared.

"Oh, Quidam, no!" Mama exclaimed.

"Daddy, you can't fight wars, you're not a soldier," Carmen reminded him, looking at Mama worriedly.

"Daddy, you aren't _really_ going to fight in the war, are you?" I asked. Daddy couldn't go away to the war. He needed to stay here with us, with hugs and kisses and playing games with us.

"There is nothing I can do about it. I have to fight or swim," Daddy sighed.

"I'd rather you swim. We'll all swim away with you," Mama said quickly, "we've done it before, and we can do it again."

"What about my pride, Meredith? What about our lives, and the children's lives?" Daddy whispered, "we can't just swim away every time there is a hint of danger now, uprooting the children and dragging them all over the ocean."

"But what if I lose you, Quidam?" Mama said quietly. I looked up and I saw a tear in her eye before it turned into seawater.

"I have to fight, Meredith. That's the end of the matter," Daddy said firmly, in his no-nonsense voice, the kind he used for no-sweets-after-dinner.

"Oh, Quidam," Mama leant forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. I was stuck between them, with a funny feeling in my throat and a tingling behind my eyes.

A week after Daddy had announced that he had been enlisted; he was packed and ready to go. Mama asked one of the neighbour's to watch the triplets, while the rest of us went into town. We waited on the edge of the village silently, but as Daddy slipped his hand into Mama's she started to sing quietly to him, in her pretty bell voice.

"_The world is yours, not mine Quidam._

_Your dreams are yours._

_You may have touched the stars but they weren't moved._

_If you reach for me, I may not choose to hold your hand._

_I might smile or I might turn away._

Daddy laughed, and started to sing, _"An ordinary man, Quidam._

_I'm everyman._

_I'm any man._

_There's nothing left._

_There's nothing right._

_There's nothing wrong._

_I'm one, I'm two._

_I'm all yet none of you._

_The truth, the lie, _

_The tear, the laughter, _

_The hand and the empty touch._

_Here I am alone_

_Waiting for the curtain call._"

Then they heard the dolphin call as the officials approached the village. By now, lots of people were outside, watching Daddy with sad eyes.

"Quidam Eau?" the man asked, to everyone. I didn't think that was a question, but he said it like one. Daddy raised his hand and looked at us with a sigh and sadness in his eyes.

"I'll be back before you know it," he promised, and hugged us all tightly in his big arms.

"Stay safe," Mama whispered.

"You too," Daddy replied. Then he let go of all of us.

"Good luck, Dad," Prince said quietly.

"Be careful, Daddy," Carmen said tearfully.

"I love you, Daddy," I said, looking at his bright eyes, now all clouded with sadness.

"I'll see you all soon," Daddy said, as he kissed Mama goodbye, "I love you all so very much. Don't forget that."

"We won't," Prince said, wiping his eyes. Daddy smiled and turned away, swimming over to the man. Mama picked me up and hugged me tightly. We waved to Daddy until we couldn't see him, and even a little after that. I closed my eyes tightly and prayed silently as Mama picked me up and hugged me tightly as a sob escaped her throat.

"_Poseidon, I know I only ever talk to you when I'm in trouble but let's face it- I'm always in trouble. This time it's not about me. It's about Daddy. He's a grown-up, I know, but he's in real trouble. I know there are a lot of mermen at war you need to watch over, but if it's not too much trouble could you take extra-special care of Daddy? Please let him make it through this war and come home. He means so much to us."_

**A/N: For anyone curious, the song is an extremely abridged version of **_**Quidam**_** from Cirque de Soleil. As always, I encourage you to review and tell me what I should improve/anything confusing or that you want clarified/anything you would like included/anything in the world you would like to say. I'd love to hear from you! **

**I'm also thinking of putting up a poll for readers to vote on what Little Mermaid story they'd like to read next. I've got a couple of ideas at the moment, but if you have any suggestions of stories you'd like to read, feel free to post them here or message them to me! **


	8. Part of That World

**Part of That World**

(Prince {age 11} POV)

Mama's little eggs started to make cooing noises today. She says that means that they are about to hatch. I guess we should stop calling them Mama's eggs. They are our siblings after all. Triton started calling them Mama's little eggs, and it kind of stuck. Today, Triton was sitting at the door, playing dead. At least, that's what it looked like. Carmen and Mama were waiting with the eggs patiently for them to hatch. Me? I had to get out of there! To my little secret grotto.

"Mama? I'm going out for a little while," I said, trying to slip out the door.

"Of course, Prince," Mama said distractedly.

"Can I come?" Triton asked, looking excited. I hesitated. But the bright, oh-so-hopeful look on his face made me nod. Besides, I'd been planning to share it with him someday.

"Goody," Triton laughed, clapping his hands, and swimming with me out the door. It was a few minutes before Triton looked around and didn't recognise anything.

"Uh… Prince? Where are we going?" he asked sheepishly.

"You'll see. It's a surprise," I said encouragingly.

"A surprise? Oh, goody! I love surprises!" Triton chirped.

"Look at this," I pulled back the rock that hid my grotto from the merworld. We swam in together. His face instantly went from excitement to shock as he saw what it held.

"What is all this stuff, Prince?" he gasped.

"My collection," I shrugged.

"Of what?" he looked at it all.

"Human things," I grinned.

"You steal from the humans?" Triton looked even more shocked.

"No, not stealing! Not really. It's all from sunken ships. It wasn't really anybodies. They fascinate me," I blushed.

"Humans?" Triton looked shocked.

"Yes, humans. Don't they make you just a little curious?" I tried.

"I don't think about humans, Prince," Triton shrugged, "They don't do anything. You've seen them. They do the same things, all of them, day in day out. They're like clams."

I sighed. Trust the only thing he wasn't curious about to be the only thing I _was_ interested in! He would never understand how I thought they were just like us, but with legs.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don't see things the way you do. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad," I shrugged, "_Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? _

_Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?_

_Wouldn't you think I'm the boy, the boy who has everything?_" I sang, swimming upward.

"_Look at this trove!_

_Treasures untold,_

_How many wonders can one cavern hold?_

_Looking around here, you think, sure_

_He's got everything_.

"_I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty_

_I've got who-zits and what-zits galore."_

Triton picked up a long thin silvery stick with three smaller sticks growing out of one end. He examined it closely as I swam to his side.

"_You want thingamabobs?_

_I got twenty!_

_But who cares?_

_No big deal,_

_I want more!_

"_I wanna be where the people are_," I sung-confessed to my wide-eyed little brother, "_I wanna see, wanna see them dancing!_

_Walking around on those- what do you call them?_

_Oh, feet!"_ I tickled the end of Triton tail as he giggled.

"_Flipping your fins you don't get too far_

_Legs are required for jumping, dancing!_" I spun Triton around, laughing, _"Walking along down a- what's that word again?_

_Street!_

_Up where they walk,_

_Up where they run_

_Up where they stay all day in the sun_

_Wandering free_

_Wish I could be_

_Part of that world!_

_What would I give if I could live out of these waters?_

_What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?_" I floated down to the sandy floor of the cavern, stretching out my tail. Triton swam down next to me, still curious as ever. I turned to him and sighed.

"_Bet cha on land, they understand_

_Bet they don't reprimand their children!_

_Bright young mermen_

_Sick of swimming_

_Ready to stand!_" I swam upward, Triton following me.

"_And ready to know what the people know!_

_Ask them my questions,_

_And get some answers!_" I pulled a book out from the shelf, flicking it to the page that confused me the most, showing Triton.

"_What's a fire? And why does it- what's the word?_

_Burn!_

_When's it _my_ turn?_

_Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world up above?_" I started to float down, Triton in my arms, "_Out of the sea,_

_Wish I could be,_

_Part of that world…_" my voice trailed off as I sat in a strange soft rocking thing called a thingamajig. Rocking back and forward with Triton curled up on my lap, I sighed, looking around at my collection.

"Someday, Triton. Someday, I'm gonna be a part of that world," I vowed. Triton looked worried, but didn't say a word.

**A/N: For anyone who has reccently had amnesia doesn't recognize it, the song is a slightly-modified **_**Part of That World **_**from the first Little Mermaid movie. **


End file.
